By Greenberg                                    H.B. No. 1555

      75R6821 MCK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to inspection of child-care facilities.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 42, Human Resources Code,

 1-5     is amended by adding Sections 42.0441-42.0443 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 42.0441.  INSPECTION RESULTS.  Immediately after

 1-7     completing an inspection of a child-care facility under Section

 1-8     42.044, the authorized representative of the division shall review

 1-9     the results of the inspection with a representative of the facility

1-10     and give the facility an opportunity to respond to the inspection

1-11     results.

1-12           Sec. 42.0442.  COORDINATION OF INSPECTIONS; ELIMINATION OF

1-13     DUPLICATIVE INSPECTIONS.  (a)  The department shall coordinate

1-14     child-care facility inspections performed by an agency or

1-15     subdivision of the state to eliminate redundant inspections.

1-16           (b)  An inspection of a child-care facility conducted by an

1-17     agency or subdivision of the state may not duplicate an inspection

1-18     conducted by another agency or subdivision.  The department shall

1-19     assign items that may be inspected by more than one agency or

1-20     subdivision of the state to only one agency or subdivision.

1-21           (c)  The department, with the assistance of the comptroller,

1-22     by rule shall adopt each inspection form used in inspecting a

1-23     child-care facility by an agency or subdivision of the state.  The

1-24     forms must be designed to eliminate redundant inspections.

 2-1           Sec. 42.0443.  INSPECTION INFORMATION DATABASE.  (a)  The

 2-2     department shall establish a computerized database containing the

 2-3     information from each inspection of a child-care facility.

 2-4           (b)  After an agency or subdivision of the state inspects a

 2-5     child-care facility, the agency or subdivision shall submit the

 2-6     completed inspection form to the department.  The department shall

 2-7     add the information from the inspection to the computerized

 2-8     database.

 2-9           SECTION 2.  (a)  Not later than January 1, 1998, the

2-10     Department of Protective and Regulatory Services shall establish a

2-11     pilot program in a medium-sized city selected by the department

2-12     that would allow a child-care facility inspector in the field:

2-13                 (1)  to access the information in the Department of

2-14     Protective and Regulatory Services's computerized inspection

2-15     database and update the database with a laptop computer as the

2-16     inspector inspects a child-care facility; and

2-17                 (2)  to provide the child-care facility with a printed

2-18     completed inspection form immediately after an inspection.

2-19           (b)  Not later than January 15, 1999, the Department of

2-20     Protective and Regulatory Services shall report to the legislature

2-21     regarding the effectiveness of the pilot program established under

2-22     this section.

2-23           (c)  This section expires September 1, 1999.

2-24           SECTION 3.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-25           (b)  Not later than September 15, 1997, each agency or

2-26     subdivision of the state that inspects child-care facilities shall

2-27     submit a copy of the inspection form used by the agency or

 3-1     subdivision to the Department of Protective and Regulatory

 3-2     Services.

 3-3           (c)  The Department of Protective and Regulatory Services

 3-4     shall adopt the inspection forms required by this Act not later

 3-5     than January 1, 1998.

 3-6           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.